9. The Lack of Control
Perhaps one of the scariest aspects of playing through Dead Space is the fact that even though Isaac is wrapped in a suit of armor, and grows his arsenal slowly over the course of the game, the truth of the matter is that you have no control over the monsters that haunt the ship.
Odds are, no matter how familiar you are with the game, you will still jump at some point on each playthrough. For me this happened as I ran through the game for a second time. Sprinting through the corridors with the ease of a child on a spring morning I pushed my way past the elevator in the first chapter. Reaching safety I kept it moving and cut through the circuit panel to unlock the door ahead of me. I then turned to my left as I stepped into the dark corridor ahead, the light green glow of a crate ahead luring me like a fly to a bug zapper.
I sprinted to the box fearlessly but just as I thought everything was fine, I had a change of heart. A Necro twisted past from behind the barrier. The sound that blasted through my speakers pierced my soul and I let out a shriek of terror. I was instantly reminded of the terror at hand, and the horror that Visceral created by never feeling in control of the situation no matter how powerful your weaponry is.
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